Mill



June 23, 1942. c. M. BINDNER- MILL ' Filed Oct. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 1942- c. M. BINDNER MILL Filed 001:. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I o c0099 0-. 00 000 ones a cocoa Patented June 23, 1942 i Charles M. Bindner, Normandy, Mo assignor to Dixie Machinery Mfg. Co., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application October 16, 1540, Serial No. 361,374 2 Claims. (01. 83- 11 This invention relates to mills, and with regard to certain more specific features, to mills for grinding grain and the like.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a mill structure in which an air draft system is used for moving grain particles or the like after they leave the grinding elements; the provision of a device of the class described in which the draft-producing fan and its motor are closely integrated and attached in a simple way for rotation independently of the rotation of the grinding elements; the provision of a device of the class described in which bearing alignment troubles are avoided. in connection with the draft producing means and wherein. also. a. free inlet-is obtained for obtaining a clean sweep ofgrain from the grinding elements to the fan; and the provision of a rigid and compact organization of all parts, requiring a minimum base support. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. l is a front elevation of the invention Fig. 2 is a top plan View; Fig. 3 is an end view from the left of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal section takenon line 4--4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown at numeral a grinder housing having an inlet 3 for whole grain or the like which is fed to the machine. This housing interiorly carries breaker plates 5 and beneath these a screen"? cradled for support on links 9 and II. The links are pivoted to the frame I at I3 and to the links 9 at I5. The links 9 are pivoted at H to a supporting link l8. The link I1 is pivoted to an adjustable supporting pin I9 controlled by a hand-adjusting bolt 2| reacting against a fulcrum 23.

Fassing through the housing I is a rotary'shaft 25which pivotally carries hammers 21. Between in pillow blocks 3| the hammers 27 and the breaker plates 5 the grain is broken up, to pass through the screen I.

The shaft 25 is borne upon roller bearings 29 The blocks 3| are supported upon pedestals 33 which are cast integrally with a supporting base, indicated generally at 35.

Alignment of the shaft 25 is thus maintained rigidly with respect to the base, and the housing I needs to be made only heavy enough to deter- -mine an inside chamber 31 in which crushing ocours and in which the breaker plates 5 are supported. The foundation 35 is of the truncated form shown. It has one enclosing end wall 43, side walls 45 with openings ll therein, and an opposite end wall 45 in which is an outlet opening 5|. Communicating with the opening 5| is a cradle-shaped, axial sump 53 which has air inlets 55 adjacent to the wall 53, that is, at the end opposite the outlet 5|. The sump 53 has an upper grain inlet at 5?, just below the screen I.

The axis of the sump is parallel to that of shaft-25. I

The drive for the shaft 25 consists of a motor 59 direct coupled at 6|. The motor 59 is carried upon an endwise bracket 63 fastened to the base 35 over the end wall 43. Thus the hammers Z'l revolve at an angular velocity equal to that of the motor 59. The beaten and broken grain falls through the screen I and into the sump 53.

In order to draw the grain out of the sump 53, a separable motor-and-blower unit 55 is used. This unit is bolted to the foundation 35 around outlet 5| so that its inlet connects with the outlet. The entire blower unit 65 is supported by its said connection, no further supports being required from any foundation. It consists of a scroll or volute casing El to which is attached a motor 69. The assembly of rotor 68 and shaft i0 is carried in suitable bearings 12 in the motor case, and the shaft extends into the scroll casing 61 where it supports fan blades ll which rotate counterclockwise (Fig. 3). Items 68, 12, Ill and H are shown diagrammatically. Thus it will be seen that the portion of the shaft of motor 69 which carries the blades H is overhung, no bearing being used beyond the fan at opening 5|. This leaves -a free intake port at 5| without the necessity of extending the shaft of motor 69 through or into the sump 53, and without the necessity for any supporting spider across the outlet opening 5|.

Operation consists simply in closing the respective circuits for the motors 59 and 59. As the grain is crushed, it passes through the screen 1 and into the sump 53. The fan H independently driven by the motor 69 induces air currents through the openings 41 and 55 and through the screen 1 so that a draft passes axially through the sump 53 and out of the opening 5| into the scroll 61. Centrifugal fan action throws the air and entrained grain through the outlet 12 of the scroll. This outlet I2 is connected to a suitable tube for delivering the grain to points not shown.

Among the advantages of the invention is the fact that the motor drive 59 for the pressure or grinder shaft 25 is independent of the motor drive 69 for the fan blades 1 I. Thus, when a heavy load of grain.comes through, and the speed of motor 59 is reduced, the motor 69 is unaffected and the induced draft is therefore substantially unaffected.

The assembly of motor 69 and scroll 61, being unitary, is easily applicable and removable from the end of the sump 53 and from the opening 5|. This lends itself to a compact construction which may easny be removed IOI repair.

The fact that the assembly 65, consisting of the centrifugal blower 61 and its motor drive 69,

is supported exclusively by the base 35 and overhangs the same, results in simplicity, and economy in providing foundations, because only a foundation needs to be provided for the limited area of the base 35. The same advantage accrues to the mounting 63 for the motor 59.

The fact that the shaft of the motor 69 has no bearing on the side of the fan 1| adjacent to the outlet 5| serves to provide a free flow for air and entrained grain from the sump 53 and into the scroll 61.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A mill comprising a base forming a longitudinal sump having an endwise outlet, at least one air inlet at its opposite end and an upward opening, said base having integral upward pedestals, grinding means on the base communicating with said upward opening and comprising a separate enclosure between said pedestals and being attached to the base, rotary grinding means in said enclosure and supported by the pedestals and having its axis parallel to the axis of the sump, a motor having a direct coupling with said rotary means, a bracket attached to and extending with an overhang from the base and carrying said motor, a centrifugal air pump having a central inlet and having an exclusive attachment to the base with said inlet adjacent to the outlet of the sump, and a motor attached coaxially to said centrifugal air pump.

2. A mill comprising a base forming a longitudinal sump having an outlet near one end, at least one air inlet near its opposite end, and an upward material-receiving opening between said ends, pedestals extending upward from the base, rotary grinding means carried by said pedestals above the base, the axis of the rotary grinding means being substantially parallel to the length of the sump, a separate enclosure between said pedestals attached to said base and communicating with said material-receiving opening, a motor having a driving coupling with said rotary means, a bracket attached to and extending with an overhang from the air-inlet end of the base, said bracket carrying said motor, a centrifugal air pump having a central inlet and an attachment exclusively to the base, with its inlet adjacent to the outlet of the sump, and a motor attached coaxially to said centrifugal air pump.

CHARLES M. BINDNER. 

